Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD SWIFT/BIC code

What POALCHZZ means for a payment to Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD

POALCHZZ and POALCHZZXXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both lead to Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD in Zurich. The code does one job: it makes sure that an international payment reaches the right bank. In practice you usually come across the code on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details of Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD customers.

Further down we go through the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to check the code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify a personal account; that is what the account number or IBAN .

Before you send: check the Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD code

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check it with POALCHZZ here and ask if anything does not match.

An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a returned payment or additional charges. A mistake in the account number is a bigger problem, because the money may be credited to someone else.

An automatic check by your bank merely confirms that the code exists, not that it is the right account. Where available, a name check on the recipient adds an extra layer of safety. When you pay someone new, some people send a small amount first.

The Swiss Franc and what conversion costs you

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc, with the currency code CHF. Money sent in a different currency will be converted into CHF. Every conversion costs the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference. Check how much CHF arrives with different services before choosing one.

Rates for CHF change all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over a year.

POALCHZZ or POALCHZZXXX – which one to use?

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. Combined, those parts make up POALCHZZ – the version you usually see online.

XXX at the end of POALCHZZXXX is not a missing value or an error: it stands for the head office of Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD. Some banking apps insist on 11 characters, and then you can add XXX behind POALCHZZ.

In practice the code is typed in capitals. Watch for O versus 0 or the letter I and the digit 1.

How up to date is this code?

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update our list from time to time. It can happen that information here is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. Figures such as the number of codes come from our own dataset.

See the information on this page as a helpful check, and let the details from the recipient or Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD have the final say. GoldexPay is independent of Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD. Spotted an error? Tell us through the contact page so we can correct it.

What a transfer from Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD abroad really costs

The price of a payment abroad has several parts. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: the bank converts using an exchange rate that includes a margin. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives with different services. You can always keep your account at Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD to fund the transfer.

Head office or branch code at Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD?

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD. Besides the head office code POALCHZZXXX, you will find codes for regional offices and specialised units.

In most cases there is no need to look up a branch: payments sent to POALCHZZXXX reach Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD without problems. Only use a branch code when the account holder explicitly asks for it, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Branch codes are more likely to be retired than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

How long does an international transfer to Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD take?

There is no fixed answer: some land within a day while others need several business days. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later. Compliance checks by one of the banks may also cause some delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services usually show a status online showing where the payment has got.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the sender needs to contact the bank that sent it. Ask the sender for the payment receipt with the date and reference.

Getting paid from abroad into a Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD account

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender all details at once. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code POALCHZZXXX and your address.

It helps to add Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD and its city too, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A mistake in your account number can be more trouble than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

An incoming payment does not always arrive in full. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank – the price list of Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD tells you what applies. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs, so that nobody is left short.

Do you need POALCHZZ for a SEPA transfer?

Because Switzerland is in SEPA, a euro payment to Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) LTD from within the SEPA area usually requires just an IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC for these payments.

A SWIFT code like POALCHZZ does come into play for payments in other currencies and when the money comes from outside SEPA. If a payment form asks for the BIC anyway, adding POALCHZZ does no harm.

Instant payments in euros have become increasingly supported across SEPA. Charges on SEPA payments tend to be low.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Fraudsters regularly use fake invoices with changed bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account.

Never trust contact details in the same message that contains the new account. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. If money has already gone to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately.

Scams also target the receiver: someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof – check your own account.